New Haven Independent

Posted by: WEBbloger 1 | July 27, 2007 8:55 PM

Moving to work?
Demarco?
Plumbers Plus?

I'm sorry Solomon but this story does not deserve my comment.
Huston...
Beam me down!

Posted by: Taxed To Death | July 30, 2007 4:38 PM

Hello Houston??? Houston!!! The pigs are flying, Houston.

Question: How much of the budget is reserved for patronage? What consultants are in the budget and at what cost? And what well known city pols are on the payroll? Somehow, the very idea that in-house maintenance and managment can do better than outside contractors is a real stretch. I guess I've seen too many boarded units in public housing and remember too well the cooked books of not so long ago. Maybe you should have put it out to bid and gotten better help.

Posted by: Bob Solomon | July 30, 2007 6:28 PM

It makes a lot of sense to contract out for the management of scattered site housing. That is why the Housing Authority has done so for the last eight years. When HUD's assessment scores for the scattered site were substantially lower than for public housing units managed by the Housing Authority, HANH changed private managers. The scores this past year were even lower, at the same time that HANH scores went up dramatically. There is a lot of talk about the wonders of private management, but the reality occurs on this planet, not in some ivory tower. (It feels great to accuse other people of making claims from their ivory towers!) The real problem is that private management, no matter how good, depends on higher per-unit rents than the federal government is willing to pay. The discrepancy between need and HUD payments has grown dramatically under the Bush administration, which is delighted to see those boarded up units. Bush and friends will be even happier when the units are demolished, as is inevitable without adequate operating funds.

Posted by: Taxed To Death | July 31, 2007 3:12 PM

Congratulations for scoring better than outside contractors -- I just hope your celebration is better rooted than the NH BOE that finds solace and comfort in failure -- just not as bad a failure as last year.

Having said that, though...what part of budget is reserved for patronage, consultants and political pols and pals? In the midst of your celebration, you failed to address that.

Posted by: Clay Williams | July 31, 2007 7:21 PM

I believe Empower New Haven is/has rolled out a program that supports Housing Authority entrepreneurship, including financing and technical assistance. Perhaps...just perhaps...some tenant-owned businesses... landscapers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc. ...might result and become implemental in fixing and maintaining their own properties...perhaps...again, perhaps...saving NHHA some $$$.

Posted by: Your Tax Dollars at Work | August 1, 2007 12:57 PM

The private management contractor - a non-profit agency which managed the properties for several years prior to DeMarco - was excoriated by HANH for its performance. Now, we finally have a revelation: insufficient funds are provided by HUD for any out-sourced contractor to provide the level of management required to get good grades from HUD.

It remains to be seen how HANH will manage these widly dispersed units without enough funding from HUD. Is it possible the actual cost of satisfying this perceived social need -- putting folks into scattered site housing -- is far, far more expensive than anyone originally anticipated when the consent decree was issued? Will New Haven taxpayers finally have to "pony up" to make up the difference between what's provided by HUD and the actual cost?